This is my personal blog which I began in February 2001. I called it The Obvious? when I wrote anonymously and chose the name to reflect the fact I have to overcome my inhibitions about stating the obvious!

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I reckon I can write that title as it does feel as if I have "done" all of it - or at least a lot of it. Twenty individual events in thirty six days, four long haul flights within Australia crossing the country from all angles, and lots of small flights and car drives.

My main reason for being in Australia was a speaking tour of branches of The Australian Computer Society, an association of IT professionals. I spoke in venues ranging from large auditoria, to offices, to even an RSL club (the Australian equivalent of a Royal British Legion Club) and to audiences that ranged from people who were still studying IT at university to others who had retired. I had many really good conversations with really interesting and committed people in all sorts of positions in IT in all sorts of organisations. In addition to the ACS events I carried out several others, including workshops, for other organisations in Sydney and Melbourne thanks to friends and connections I have made there over the years.

Due to the nature of the timetable I also had the chance to see some of the countryside in most of the places I visited - from climbing Mt. Wellington in Hobart, to trips up crocodile rivers in Kakadu, to swimming on the beaches near Perth. Actually Western Australia was the only chance I got to do this due to the warnings of deadly jelly fish, crocodiles and sharks in the sea everywhere else!

Thanks to all the wonderful people I met and who went out of their way to help me along the way. It's been a helluva trip.

[I am writing this on the plane to Hong Kong where I am doing a couple of workshops and then off to Washington for a meeting of The World Bank's Knowledge Management Commission which isn't really on the way home!! Fours days to try to make amends to my family then off to Dubai. I must be mad!]